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Dubai think tank to represent Arab world through dialogues

Dubai - Fiker Institute rolls out six research programmes, divided into both regional and thematic areas.

A new interdisciplinary think tank - Fiker Institute – has been launched in Dubai. It will deliberate and take action on issues related to international affairs, public policy and global governance.

Dubai Abulhoul, an Emirati author, columnist and Rhodes scholar, recently announced the establishment of the think tank.

Fiker Institute, in close collaboration with an international network of partners, has rolled out six research programmes, divided into both regional and thematic areas.

Through a multi-faceted approach and an interdisciplinary framework, the think tank aims to develop a platform that sparks two-way dialogues between the Arab world and the rest of the international community to test ideas, debate constructs and advance deep intellectual understanding.

Dubai Abulhoul, the founder of Fiker Institute, said: “For far too long, our global narrative as a region has been told for us and not by us. It’s time for the Arab world to reclaim its narrative abroad. As early as 1798 -- a critical year in our regional history -- Arabs have been negatively depicted in Western art and in academic schools of thought. One would think that somewhere between 1798 and 2021, Western media, NGOs and think tanks would abandon these false stereotypes but unfortunately, that has not been the case. It’s time to change that.”

Abulhoul reiterated that the objective is also to produce cutting edge research on some of the international community’s most pressing issues.

As an intellectual platform, the new institute openly invites thinkers, innovators, writers, poets and artists in the region, and across the globe, to engage in this new and bold dialogue.

She added: “Through Fiker Institute, we not only aim to represent our region abroad but also want to share our opinions about the rest of the world, and to actively contribute to international debates on global issues of mutual concern.”

The three regional programmes include West Asia and North Africa, which aims to decolonise narratives surrounding this region; Europe, which seeks to explore the question of national sovereignty versus multilateral cooperation in the European Union; North and South America, which puts focus to study how institutions in that part of the world are being weighed down by racial inequity, polarised political parties and gun violence.

Its three thematic programmes include Diplomacy and Global Governance, which aims to study the disruption of diplomacy in light of the changing nature of global affairs; Gender Equality, which explores the nuances behind the challenges that women still face around the world today; and Climate Change, which analyses sustainable adaptation and resilience models drawn from different regions.

Applicants can submit their proposed topics and publications through the institute’s website (www.fikerinstitute.org)

nandini@khaleejtimes.com